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Thanks for that demonstration, Shane. You convinced me. So, what are they? I'm assuming something other than aluminum, but maybe I'm totally off.

Also, when you reply to a thread about loving threads and reading threads and installing threads, I get very confused.

Mike

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Mike Lindstrom

It's good we aren't talking about screws then!!

The inserts are zinc alloy and are plenty strong enough. If I was doing a bolt on neck I would prefer these to hanger bolts (the threaded studs) as I would not like the look of nut on the end of a bolt when looking inside the guitar, these do look clean.

Shane

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Canada

Do the threaded inserts work well with a soft wood neck, Cedar, Port orford, or do softer woods require some other consideration?

Do most epoxy these in place or use some other glue, or leave them dry so they could be replaced.
Rob

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Point taken, Shane, and a very valid one too.

I feel obliged to point out however, that my prior objection wasn't so much about the quality of the insert itself as the basic wrongness of threading into end grain, period. It just don't feel right.

It is just conceivable that if you repeated your experiment using end grain mahogany instead of the side grain of birch, the result might have been different.

As it happens, I also sell these same inserts as a kit, but for the purposes of reinforcing the neck joint in bolt- on electrics, Teles, Strats, and such, and they are indeed immensely strong when inserted correctly into side grain.

Yep I agree. I use brass inserts, but insert a 8mm hardwood dowel into the neck heel. Then you are not screwing into endgrain for that 8mm. The insert goes in very firm. Seems a no brainer to me.

Peter

I have recently been using hanger bolts threaded into a 5/8 birch dowel inserted in the neck heel. I believe I got this idea from Mario Proulx. At any rate, I have not had a problem with it. However, I only build a few guitars and I don't do this as a profession. I've also used barrel nuts and threaded inserts and found them quite effective as well.

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Under Compensated Nut!

I use end grain zinc insert, similar to what Shane sells, as used on Bourgeois guitars (and others I am sure) and never had a problem. Notice how the barbs are on those, they bite much better on end grain than any of the others inserts. They're also much lighter than brass or steel.
IMHO there's a bit of overthinking there, the zinc alloy is plenty strong for the application, the wood will break before the threads can be damaged. In any case, they can easily be re-threaded.
I chamfer the 3/8 hole before putting the insert in and wick thin CA after the insert is in. I never had an loose or damaged insert.

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Laurent Brondel
West Paris, Maine - USA
http://www.laurentbrondel.com/

I find it interesting that Taylor use an Aluminum dowel that has been threaded for two bolts. I think they use it to strengthen the heel and save weight. I wonder if they harden the aluminum?

I really don't think anyone can make a claim that brass or al inserts will have any effect on sound what so ever. And if they do they need to provide test results demonstrating it. It's curious that a violin maker would be using inserts in the first place.